Ceramic supports



Dec. 27, 1966 D. M. BAKER 3,293,774

CERAMIC SUPPORTS VENTOR DAV/D ER j ,g 616i? ATTORNEYS,

Dec. 27, 1966 D. M. BAKER 3,293,774

CERAMIC SUPPORTS Filed June 27, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Dav/0 M. BAKER BY fl M M Ma ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 27, 1966 D. M. BAKER 3,293,774

CERAMIC SUPPORTS I Filed June 27, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR JI %I DAVID M. BAKE/2 H BY 7 A TTOENEj/S.

United States Patent 3,293,774 CERAMIC SUPPORTS David Martin Baker, Barberton, Ohio, assignor to The Ohio Brass Company, Mansfield, Ohio, a corporation of New Jersey Filed June 27, 1963, Ser. No. 291,167 13 Claims. (Cl. 34-134) This application relates to ceramic supports and concerns, particularly, means for supporting elongated cylindrical members, especially heating pipes or tubes for rotary driers where the pipes extend longitudinally in a rotary drier shell spaced around the periphery thereof.

Rotary driers have been employed comprising long drums, for example of the order of feet in diameter and 100 feet long which are slightly inclined to the horizontal and which are rotated during the drying process. A wet material to be dried is dumped into the high end and is delivered at the low end in a dried condition. Drying is accomplished in such driers by means of steam pipes which run the length of the drier and are mounted around the periphery thereof in banks.

The drums are of steel ordinarily, and the pipes are made of aluminum for considerations of cost and lightness and must be supported at frequent intervals. Severe electrolytic corrosion has been experienced in the past between metallic supports and the steel drier wall where non-ferrous supports such as cast aluminum supports were employed.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to avoid electrolytic action in rotary driers where the drum or shell is composed of a different metal from the tubing or pipes and more specifically to avoid electrolytic corrosion in rotary driers having cylindrical steel shells with a plurality of non-ferrous heating pipes therein.

Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In carrying out the invention in accordance with a preferred form thereof non-insulating supports in the form of ceramic blocks of suitable shape are interposed between adjacent heating pipes of a rotary drier for supporting the pipes and spacing them from each other. Means are provided for securing the ceramic supports whereby the pipes are secured in the steel shell. The spacing elements have surfaces contoured to fit the heating units or pipes and means for clamping the ceramic spacers together and against the inner surface of the steel shell. The spacers are made relatively thin in comparison with their width in order to facilitate turning the spacers for permitting ready removal of heating units.

A better understanding of the invention will be afforded by the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in cross section of a rotary drier employing spacers in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of the interior of the drier partially in section showing the arrangement of the spacers in relation to the heating tubes and the drier shell or drum, the cross section being represented as cut by a plane 2-2 indicated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view to a larger scale of a segment of the drum and tube assembly of FIG. 1 illustrating in greater clarity the manner of supporting the spacers in the drum.

FIG. 4 is an end view of one of the spacers.

Like reference characters are utilized throughout the drawing to designate like parts.

As shown in FIG. 1 there is a steel shell or drum 11 for a rotary drier in which are mounted aluminum tubes or pipes in a bank of three concentric rows 12, 13 and 14 3,293,774 Patented Dec. 27, 1966 extending longitudinally of the shell 11 around the periphery thereof. Means for rotatably mounting the hollow cylindrical shell 11 and making steam connections with the pipes 12, 13 and 14 are not shown since these are not a part of the present invention. In order to support the pipes in the rows 12, 13 and 14 in place and insulate them from the steel shell 11, thereby avoiding electrolytic corrosion, spacer blocks 15, 16, 17 and 18 are provided, which are composed of suitable insulating material, preferably ceramic.

Since the diameters of the concentric rows of pipes 12, 13 and 14 become progressively less inward from the shell 11 and it is desired to have the same number of pipes in each row, it is evident that the diameters of the pipes in the rows 12, 13 and 14 must be progressively less. The blocks or spacers 15, 16, 17 and 18 have curved surfaces contoured to fit the surfaces of the pipes of the respective rows 12, 13 and 14 and consequently each of the blocks 15, 16, 17 and 18 differs from the others somewhat in shape and curvature of its surfaces as shown more clearly in the larger scale drawing of FIG. 3.

As shown in FIG. 2 the spacers 15, 16, 17 and 18 are spaced l=ongitudinally to provide free space 19 between the pipes for permitting tumbling of the material being dried and allowing it to come in contact with the hot heater pipes 12, 13 and 14. Spacers for successive radial rows of pipes are alternated so that as shown in FIG. 1 spacers 15, 16, 17 and 18 rest between radial rows 21 and 22 of heater pipes; spacers 23, 24, 25 and 26 rest between radial rows 27 and 28 of steam pipes, and so on around the periphery of the shell 11.

Longitudinally spaced from the spacers 15, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25 and 26 and others lying in the same cross-sectional plane such as the section plane 11 indicated in FIG. 2 are corresponding spacers 29 resting between radial rows of pipes 22 and 27, 28 and 31 and so on, so that all of the pipes are locked in position against circumferential movement.

The ceramic spacer blocks are secured to the casing or shell 11 to prevent movement of the spacers and also to lock the heating pipes in position against radial movement. To this end each of the spacers is formed with abore 32 to receive a securing bolt or a screw 33 for clamping each stack of spacers such as the spacers 15, 16, 17 and 18 between a row of pipes, and the steel shell 11 and small plates 34 composed of sheet steel or the like. In the specific embodiment illustrated the screws 33 are provided with nuts 35 and 36 at the outer and inner ends, respectively, for clamping the spacers and pipes together, but it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific securing means illustrated.

For reasons of strength the outer shell 11 is made of rolled steel and the steam heating tubes 12, 13 and 14 are composed of aluminum or a suitable aluminum alloy. The spacers 15, 16, 17 and 18, being composed of insulating material provide secure support for the tubes or pipes without permitting electrolytic erosion. Ceramic spacers are advantageous in that their temperature coefiicient of expansion is relatively low, they retain their shape when subjected to the temperature of the steam heating pipes and they also resist chemical attack. Preferably unglazed porcelain is employed. Ceramic spacers may be produced economically by forming from continuous extrusions.

As shown in FIG. 3 the spacers have at least one bell portion, e.g. bell portion 9 of spacer 15, having symmetrical surfaces each lying along an arc of a right circular cylinder and extending slightly less than of are so that adequate supporting surface contact is provided to the heating pipes on either side while providing adequate free surface on the pipes to enable them to accomplish their drying action. The bell portion 9 of outer end spacer 15 has waist, or cylindrical-arc surfaces 37 and 38 for engaging opposing pipes 12 and 20 to space them from each other and the shell 11. The cylindrical arcuate surfaces 39 and 40 of the inward spacer 18 correspond to the surfaces 37 and 38 of the outward spacer 15 but with smaller radius because of the smaller diameter of the inner pipes.

The intermediate spacers 16 and 17 also have symmetrical curved surfaces lying along arcs of right circular cylinders and extending along somewhat less or no greater than 90 of are but each spacer has two oppositely disposed bell portions in mouth-to-mouth relation having four cylindric waist surfaces, e.g. surfaces 41-44 of spacer 16, instead of two as shown in order to provide support to pipes contacting all four surfaces. Thus surfaces 41 and 42 are of the same radius as the surfaces 37 and 38, surfaces 43 and 44 are of smaller radius to fit pipe 13. Surfaces 45 and 46 of the spacer 17 correspond in radius to the surfaces 43 and 44 of the spacer 16; surfaces 47 and 48 of the spacer 17 correspond in radius to the surfaces 39 and 40 of the spacer 18. A shoulder portion 8 of each bell portion 9, extends, for example, between and spaces a pair of opposing pipes 13 and 6 in adjacent rows of pipes, and the lip portions 7 of the bell portion 9 extend between and space said pair of opposing pipes 13 and 6 from an adjacent pair of pipes 12 and 9 in said adjacent rows of pipes.

Each of the spacers is made relatively thin, compared to its width or greatest dimension, in order that it may readily be turned after loosening the nuts 35 or 36 or partially removing the screw 33 for the purpose of removing and replacing heating pipes such as 12, 13 and 14 when necessary. In other words, the lip portions 7 form handles or levers to facilitate rotating the spacers around their screw mountings 33. In the case of the spacer 15 illustrated in FIG. 4 the thickness T is considerably less than the maximum Width W. In the specific embodiment illustrated the ratio is almost three to one in the case of the spacer 15 and between two and three to one for each of the spacers.

When the clamping nuts 35 and 36 are loosened, there is enough relative movement between the pipes and staggered spacers to permit rotating the spacers, e.g. rotating spacer 16 about bolt 33. Because of the staggered relation of the spacers and the spacing between the rows of spacers, the spacers can be rotated even though the spacer dimension T is somewhat greater than the corresponding distance between the pipes, e.g. the distance L between adjacent pipes 12 and 20. Consequently, turning each spacer in a stack around the screw or bolt 33 trees the adjacent heating pipes and enables them to be shifted or moved.

While the invention has been described as embodied in concrete form and as operating in a specific manner in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto, since various modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a rotary drier having an elongated cylindrical steel shell, a plurality of nonferrous heating pipes extending longitudinally in said shell spaced around the periphery thereof, a plurality of supports interposed between adjacent heating pipes for supporting them and spacing them from each other, each support comprising a plurality of rotatable ceramic spacer elements contacting the pipes, the supports being in staggered relation and the spacers being dimensioned such that when the spacers are rotated, adjacent pipes engaged by said spacers can be removed, and means extending through the spacer elements for securing the supports to the shell, whereby .the pipes are secured in said steel shell without electrolytic action therebetween.

2. The rotary drier of claim 1, wherein the means for securing the supports to the shell includes, a bolt around which the spacers rotate, said bolt extending from the shell and lying in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of said pipes.

3. In an apparatus having at least two rows of pipes wherein the longitudinal axis of the pipes are parallel and spaced from a surface, means for spacing the pipes in one row from each other, the surface, and the pipes in the adjacent row, comprising in combination:

(a) at least one shaft extending from the surface be tween adjacent rows of pipes, the longitudinal axis of the shaft lying in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the pipes;

(b) a plurality of axially aligned spacers mounted for rotation about the shaft, each spacer including:

((3) at least one hell portion including a shoulder portion extending at least partially bet-ween a pair of opposing pipes in adjacent rows, and a pair of opposing lip portions extending at least partially between said pair of opposing pipes and an adjacent pair of opposing pipes in said adjacent rows; and

((1) means coacting with the shaft for compressing the spacers against the pipes to keep the spacers from rotating.

4. The pipe spacing means of claim 3 wherein the bell portion includes a. waist portion between the shoulder portion and each lip portion, and configured to matingly engage an adjacent pipe wall.

5. The pipe spacing means of claim 4 wherein the bell portion of each spacer is dimensioned such that when the spacer is rotated about the shaft 90 from its pipe engaging and retaining position, a pipe engaged by the spacer can be axially moved.

6. The pipe spacing means of claim 5 wherein each spacer includes a second bell portion integrally formed with said first bell portion and extending therefrom, the bell portions being opposed and in mouth-to-mouth relation and having a longitudinal bore for receiving the shaft.

7. The pipe spacing means of claim 6 wherein the waist portions of each bell portion are configured to matingly engage an adjacent pipe wall.

8. The pipe spacing means of claim 7 wherein the spacer is composed of porcelain.

9. The pipe spacing means of claim 8 wherein the porcelain is unglazed.

10. A spacer for engaging and retaining spaced pipes in spaced rows, comprising in combination:

(a) at least one bell portion formed on a longitudinal axis for rotation about a shaft lying in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the pipes and extending between the rows of pipes, said bell portion including:

(b) a shoulder portion for extending at least partially between a pair of opposing pipes in adjacent rows;

(c) a pair of opposing lip portions for extending at least partially between said pair of opposing pipes and an adjacent pair of opposing pipes in said adjacent rows, the lip portions terminating substantially in the plane of the mouth of said bell portion; and

(d) a Waist portion between the shoulder portion and each lip portion for matingly engaging an adjacent 65 pipe wall.

11. A spacer for engaging and retaining spaced pipes in spaced rows, comprising in combination:

(a) at least one bell portion formed on a longitudinal axis for rotation about a shaft lying in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of the pipes and extending between the rows of pipes, said bell portion including:

(b) a shoulder portion for extending at least partially between a pair of opposing pipes in adjacent rows;

(c) a pair of opposing lip portions for extending at least partially between said pair of opposing pipes and an adjacent pair of opposing pipes in said adjacent rows, the lip portions terminating substantially in the plane of the mouth of said bell portion;

(d) a waist portion between the shoulder portion and each lip portion for matingly engaging an adjacent pipe wall, said bell portion being dimensioned such that when it is rotated about its longitudinal axis 90 from its pipe engaging and retaining position, a pipe engaged by the bell portion can be axially moved.

12. The spacer of claim 11, wherein the bell portion includes, a bore concentric with the longitudinal axis of the bell portion for receiving a shaft about which the bell portion rotates.

13. The spacer of claim 12 which is composed of porcelain.

6 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FREDERICK L. MATTESON, JR., Primary Examiner.

15 JOHN F. OCONNOR, Examiner.

B. L. ADAMS, Assistant Examiner. 

11. A SPACER FOR ENGAGING AND RETAINING SPACED PIPES IN SPACED ROWS, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION; (A) AT LEAST ONE BELL PORTION FORMED ON A LONGITUDINAL AXIS FOR ROTATION ABOUT A SHAFT LYING IN A PLANE NORMAL TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE PIPES AND EXTENDING BETWEEN THE ROWS OF PIPES, SAID BELL PORTION INCLUDING: (B) A SHOULDER PORTION FOR EXTENDING AT LEAST PARTIALLY BETWEEN A PAIR OF OPPOSING PIPES IN ADJACENT ROWS; (C) A PAIR OF OPPOSING LIP PORTIONS FOR EXTENDING AT LEAST PARTIALLY BETWEEN SAID PAIR OF OPPOSING PIPES AND AN ADJACENT PAIR OF OPPOSING PIPES IN SAID ADJACENT ROWS, THE LIP PORTIONS TERMINATING SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE PLANE OF THE MOUTH OF SAID BELL PORTION; (D) A WAIST PORTION BETWEEN THE SHOULDER PORTION AND EACH LIP PORTION FOR MATINGLY ENGAGING AN ADJACENT PIPE WALL, SAID BELL PORTION BEING DIMENSIONED SUCH THAT WHEN IT IS ROTATED ABOUT ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS 90* FROM ITS PIPE ENGAGING AND RETAINING POSITION, A PIPE ENGAGED BY THE BELL PORTION CAN BE AXIALLY MOVED. 